io6 
THOMPSON YATES LABORATORIES REPORT 
What is very striking is the grouping of cases — either two or more in one 
house, or contiguous houses, with cases occurring in each. 
Some of the houses where many cases have occurred are large lodging-houses, 
e.g., 30 Byrom Street, 131 and 132 Richmond Row, 107 St. Anne Street. In 131 
Richmond Row are about 100 lodgers, while 107 St. Anne Street has about 200 ; 
many of these are transient, only remaining a few days. 
So many cases occurring in the crowded parts, and it being doubtful what 
precautions are taken in the care of the sputum — and it is known that in a great number 
of instances practically no care is taken — it is simply incalculable what number of cases 
receive in such rooms their primary infection. 
Although the infective properties of the dust of rooms in which consumptives 
have slept have been demonstrated over and over again, I asked the Medical Officer 
of Health in January of this year for a list of houses in which deaths from con- 
sumption had recently occurred. Of ten houses in which deaths had occurred 7 to 
14 days previously, I was able to secure dust in four. In the others, from being 
vacant or from objections by the occupants, I was unable to secure any. 
The following are my notes at time of taking the dust : — 
House A. — Patient slept on lounge 2 to 3 weeks before death. Rooms very 
clean ; difficult to secure dust. Three specimens — No. 1, from lounge 
between seat and back ; No. 2, from cracks in floor at base of wall ; 
No. 3, washings of wall paper above doorway. 
House B. — Patient slept in room, rising about 8 a.m., was up each day until day 
preceding death. House very clean. Sputa all burned. Room thoroughly 
cleaned after patient's death. Could only secure dust in floor cracks near 
base of wall, and from washings of wall paper. One specimen. No. 4. 
House C. — Patient in room for 3 weeks previous to death. Very careless regarding 
sputa. House very dirty. One sample collected from mantel, wall 
paper, and floor at base of wall near where bed stood. No. 5. 
House D. — Patient in room for a week only. Sputa slight. Room carefully 
cleansed. Secured dust from under base-board, and from washings. No. 6. 
These six specimens of dust were washed with sterilized water, and the washings 
injected into Guinea-pigs. 
No. 2 died on the day after injection, with an extensive subcutaneous extra- 
vasation of limpid serum about the seat of injection. The abdominal muscles also 
were extensively involved. 
No. 4, a big brown male, died four weeks after. The cause of death could not 
be found ; there were no evidences of Tuberculosis. 
No. 5 died March 16th, two months after injection, with caseating inguinal 
glands, in which tubercle bacilli were demonstrated. There were also extensive 
tubercular involvement of liver and spleen. 
Nos. 1, 2, and 6 were apparently quite healthy on March 20th, and showed no 
enlarged glands. 
